Display case



Patented Nov. 20, 1934 NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 11 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in display cases of the type which are mounted upon the counters or slabs of soda fountains, dining cars, lunch room counters or shelves, counters of stores, and elsewhere, where it is desirable to present an attractive display of goods which are ofifered for sale, and the principal object of the invention is to provide a rigid construction which can be economically made and assembled.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display case having vertical metallic channel-shaped uprights reversely arranged to receive the edges of the sides of the case which preferably are of glass, or other transparent material, with supports for shelves extending at equally spaced intervals from the inner channels of the uprights, and preferably formed by punching and bending lugs inwardly therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a construction of the character described in which the base and the top may be of like construction and interchangeable.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display case of the character specified in which the shelves can be readily removed and all parts are easily accessible for cleansing.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display case of the character specified havingsupported as to project approximately half-way beyond the edge of the counter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a display case of the character specified with a door having novel mechanism for pivotally supporting the door which will permit the door to be assembled upon the case readily and which will avoid the likelihood of the door sagging.

A further object of the invention is to provide a display case of the character specified which will be of novel and attractive appearance.

These and other objects and features of the invention will more fully appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawing illustrates a preferred form of the invention, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the display case showing the manner in which it can be supported upon a counter, and also illustrating in dotted lines an alternative position of the supporting bracket which will enable the case to extend outwardly over the edge of the supporting counter or shelf;

Fig. 2 is an underneath plan view of the base of the display case and illustrating the brackets for securing it to the counter, and showing in dotted lines alternative positions for the supporting bracket;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on line 3-3, Fig. 1, looking downwardly; I

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical sectional view on lin 44, Fig. 1, looking from left toward the right;

Fig. 5 is a detail vertical sectional view of a portion of the top and door, illustrating the preferred means for holding the door in closed position; and, I

Fig. '6 is a detail vertical sectional view illustrating the method of securing the base to the channel members and also shows the bottom shelf. I V

The display case comprises an integral metallic base, preferably of rectangular skeleton form, having side members 1 and 2, a front mem' ber 3, and a rear member 4, with an integral peripheral flange 5 projecting downwardly from the sides and ends, providing a footing for the base to rest upon the shelf or the counter and spacing the webs of the sides and ends a short dis-3 tance from the counter to provide recesses to receive the upper. ends of supporting brackets.

The top 6 of the case desirably is of thesa me construction as the base and interchangeable therewith and likewise is provided with an upwardly extending peripheral flange 7. Both the base and the top preferably are provided with side grooves 8 and 9 extending in parallelism and adapted to receive the upper edges of side walls 10 and 11, preferably of glass, or other transparent material, but which, of course, may be of any suitable material. The front of the base and top are each preferably provided with grooves 12 to receive the upper and lower edges of the front wall 13, the grooves 12 intersecting the ends of the grooves 8 and 9 in such manner that the front wall 13 will closely abut the front edgesof the side wall, or preferably the metal channels which enclose them.

The base, top and side walls are held in assembled position by pairs of reversely arranged channel-shaped uprights 14 and 15, 16 and 17, having means for securing the lower and upper ends thereof to the base and top respectively. Any suitable means may be provided for this purpose. Desirably blocks 18 are welded, or other-' wise secured to the inner flanges of the vertical channel-shaped members 15, and are provided with shoulders to engage respectively the base and the under face of the top and with cylindrical extensions 19 adapted to pass through complementary apertures in the base and top, which are provided with nuts 20 and which when set up will clamp the base and top together to form a rigid frame construction which will avoid transmission of strains to the glass sides of the case. The apertures through the base and top desirably are countersunk, so that the nuts when in assembled position will lie within the planes of the under face of the base and the lower face of the top, thereby permitting the upper arm of a bracket to be secured to the under face of the base and a removable cover 21 to be placed within the outwardly projecting flange '7 of the top.

The pairs of reversely arranged channel-shaped members, which desirably are formed of rolled sheet metal, embrace the vertical edges of the side walls 10 and 11, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and extend into the grooves 8 and 9 of the base and top, as shown in Fig. 4.

In assembling the case the uprights 14 and 15, and 16 and 17, are respectively applied to the vertical edges of the side members; the ends of the side Walls then inserted in the grooves 8 and 9 of the base, with the extensions 19 of the uprights passing through the apertures in the base and secured thereto by the nuts 20, and the lower edge of the front wall 13 insertedinto its groove 12 in the base. The top is then applied in such manner that the upper edges of the side walls 10 and 11 will enter the grooves 8 and 9 respectively and the upper edge of the front wall enter its groove 12 in the top with the extensions 19 of the uprights passing through the holes in the top and rigidly secured therein by the nuts 20. 'Each of the inner flanges of the uprights is provided with inwardly projecting shelf-supporting lugs which preferably are formed by cutting and bending tabs 22 inwardly from the inner edges of the respective flanges. Suitable shelves 23 are removably supported upon these lugs, asil- 'lustrated in Fig. 4. Desirably the shelves are provided with transverse grooves 24 extending upwardly from the under faces of the shelves, as illustrated in Fig. 4, to engage the lugs and prevent their accidental displacement or removal.

A similar bottom plate or shelf 230: having cutaway corner portions 24a: is removably .placed upon the upper face of the base and the cover 21 is removably placed within the peripheral flange 7 of the top, as above described. By reason of. this construction all of the shelves and the cover can be'readily removed to permit easy access to the interior of the case for cleansing and to enable the shelves and bottom and top plates to be readily cleaned.

The case desirably is provided with a rear door of novel construction and mounting. In the preferred construction illustrated the door 25, which preferably is of glass or other transparent -material, is provided with metallic channel-shaped binding members 26 and 27 which embrace the vertical edges of the door 25. A similar binding member 28 embraces the upper edge of the door. The flanges of the binding member 26desirably are of greater length than the other binding members and are so applied to the vertical edge of the door as to surround a pintle 29 which comprises a rod adapted to be inserted through a suitable hole in the top beyond and in proximity to the vertical standard 16 and seated at its hottom in a suitable socket bored part-way through the base.

In order to insure proper pivotal movement of the door about the pintle 2. preferably cylindrical socket member 30 is rotatably mounted upon the pintle and rests upon the base and is provided with a slotto receive the lower end of the binding member 26 which encloses the vertical edge of the door.

By reason of this construction the lower edge of the door is held out of frictional engagement with the base and the door will therefore swing freely to and from closed position.

Suitable means are provided for securing the door in closed position. In the preferred construction illustrated a spring latch 31, having a downwardly bent end to engage the upper binding member 28 of the door, has secured to it a stud 32 which extends upwardly through a suitable aperture in the top having a countersink for a nut 3233 upon the stud 32. The binding member 28 of the door desirably is flush with the.

outer flange of the upright 14 to provide a neat appearance and also to present an edge which can be conveniently engaged by the hand of the operator to swing the door from'closed to open position.

One of the principal features of the present invention comprises means for mounting the case upon a counter, slab or shelf in such manner that substantially the entire base of the case may be located upon the counter or shelf, or alternatively may be so secured thereto as to overhang the edge of the counter or shelf. This is accomplished in the present invention by providing a U-shaped bracket having a flat arm 33 of such thickness that it may lie within the space between the base and the shelf which is provided by the peripheral flange of the base and which is secured to the base by suitable screws 34 and 35. The bracket has a vertical arm 36 extending downwardly at right angles to the arm 34 a sufficient distance to enable the lower arm 37 of the bracket to extend beneath the counter or shelf, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and a clamping screw 38 serves to secure the bracket and case firmly to be secured to them in a different position, as illustrated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2, to permit the case to be supported upon the counter or shelf in such manner that it will overhang the edge of the shelf. Desirably these holes are so positioned that slightly less than one-half of the area of the base of the case will overhang the edge of the counter. By reason of this construction a greater counter area may be provided which is quite desirable where the case is used upon soda fountains and the like. The screw threaded holes may if desired be, so positioned that the brackets may be secured to the base in reverse direction thereby enabling the door of the case to be at the'front instead of at the rear.

The term front.and 'rear'therefore as applied to the wall 13 and to the position of the door 25 respectively is, of course, arbitrary and the case may be mounted in any desired manner so. that the closed side will be the front, or the case may be so positioned that the door will be at the front of the case according to the locaas the base and top are of similar construction and interchangeable. The uprights are also of like construction and the lugs upon the uprights may be so positioned that by reversing some of them end for end identical uprights may be used for all of the edges of the vertical side members. By reason of these facts the cost of patterns, dies, and production equipment is greatly minimized. The parts may be assembled readily and by unskilled workmen. The manufacture, therefore, of such cases in quantity is greatly simplified.

It will be understood that the embodiment of the invention particularly shown and described herein is of an illustrative character and that various changes in material, construction and arrangement of parts may be made within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A display case comprising a rectangular base and a rectangular top having respectively grooves to receive the lower and upper edges of side walls and a front wall, pairs of reversely positioned metallic channel-shaped uprights seated in said side grooves adjacent the corners of said base and top and having shoulders spaced from the ends of said uprights to engage respectively the upper face of the base and the under face of the top, side walls seated in said side grooves and in the channels of the respective pairs of uprights, a front wall seated in the front grooves of said base and top and secured in place thereby, and means for securing the ends of said uprights to said base and top to provide a rigid metallic frame construction.

2. A display case comprising a rectangular base and a rectangular top having respectively grooves to receive the lower and upper edges of side walls and a front wall, pairs of reversely positioned metallic channel-shaped uprights seated in said side grooves adjacent the corners of said base and top and having shoulders spaced from the ends of said uprights to engage respectively the upper face of the base and the under face of the top, side walls seated in said side grooves and in the channels of the respective pairs of uprights, a front wall seated in the front grooves of said base and top and secured in position thereby, said uprights being provided respectively with threaded extensions extending from said shoulders through said base and top respectively, and nuts on said extensions releasably securing said uprights rigidly to said base and top by securing them in contact with the shoulders on said uprights with the walls in assembled position.

3. A display case comprising a rectangular base, a reversely positioned top of like construc- 1 -tion and interchangeable therewith, each provided with side grooves and an end groove to receive the ends of the side and front walls, pairs of reversely arranged metallic channel-shaped uprights having their ends seated in the side grooves of said base and top adjacent to said end 'groove and having shoulders spaced from the ends of said uprights to engage respectively the upper face of said base and the under face of said top, sides mounted in said side grooves and in the channels of said uprights, a front mounted in said front grooves and secured in place thereby, and means for rigidly connecting said uprights to said base and top respectively.

4. A display case comprising a rectangular metal base provided with a downwardly extending peripheral flange, side members and a front member mounted thereupon and extending upwardly therefrom, a top, and uprights having horizontal shoulders adjacent their ends for connecting said top to said base to securesaid sides and front member fixedly in position, a bracket having an arm secured to said base lying'within the plane of the edges of said downwardly extending peripheral flange, and an arm substantially parallel therewith and spaced apart therefrom sufficiently to permit the bracket arms to lie respectively above and below the face of a shelf or counter, and means for clamp-ing said bracket upon said shelf or counter.

5. A display case comprising a rectangular metal base provided with a downwardly extending peripheral flange, side members and a front member mounted thereupon and extending upwardly therefrom, a top, and uprights having horizontal shoulders adjacent their ends for connecting said top to said base to secure said sides and front member fixedly in position, a bracket having an arm secured to said base lying within the plane of the edges of said downwardly extending peripheral flange, and an arm substantially parallel therewith and spaced apart therefrom sufficiently to permit the bracket arms to lie respectively above and below the face of a shelf or counter, means for clamping said bracket upon said shelf or counter, and means for securing said bracket to said base in a plurality of positions, whereby the base of said display case may be caused to rest wholly upon the supporting shelf or counter or to overhang the edge thereof.

6. A display case comprising an integral rectangular base having a downwardly projecting peripheral flange, a top, pairs of reversely arranged metallic channel-shaped uprights seated on said base and having shoulders spaced from the ends of said uprights to engage respectively the upper face of said base and the under face of said top, and means for securing said uprights to said base and top, side walls having their edges fitting within the channels of said uprights, a glass front wall abutting the webs of a pair of said channels, means for securing said front wall in position, a rear door, and a pivotal support for the same mounted in said base and top.

7. A display case comprising a rectangular metal base and a metal top, each provided with grooves to receive the ends of side and front walls, side walls and a front wall seated in said grooves, uprights at the corners of said case having shoulders adjacent the ends thereof for clamping the base and top together to secure said side and front walls rigidly in assembled position, a vertical pintle mounted in said top and base adjacent to the edge of one of said side walls, a door having a metallic vertical channel embracing one of the vertical edges thereof and enclosing said pintle to form a hinge for said door.

8. A display case comprising a rectangular metal base and a metal top, each provided with grooves to receive the ends of side and front walls, side walls and a front wall seated in said grooves, means for clamping the base and top together to secure said side and front walls rigidly in assembled position, a vertical pintle mounted in said top and base adjacent to the edge of one of said side walls, a door having a metallic vertical channel embracing one of the vertical edges thereof and enclosing said pintle to form a hinge for said door, and a cylindrical pivotal support rotatably mounted upon said pintle and resting upon said base having a groove embracing the lower end of the hinge portion of said door.

9. A display case comprising a rectangular skeleton base having in one face grooves extending longitudinally of the sides and one end to receive the ends of side walls and the front wall and having a peripheral flange extending from the opposite face thereof, a top of like construction and interchangeable therewith, two pairs of reversely arrange metallic channel-shaped uprights seated in said side grooves and having threaded extensions engaging said base and top, correspondingly spaced shelf-supporting lugs integral with and extending inwardly from the inner flanges of said uprights, side walls having their edges fitting within said oppositely disposed channels, and side grooves, a front wall fitting in the front grooves of said base and top and abutting the webs of adjacent channels, shelves supported on said lugs, a pintle mounted in said base and top adjacent one of said rear uprights, and a door having channel-shaped metallic members embracing its vertical edges and enclosing said pintle, and means for releasably securing said door in closed position.

18. A corner upright for a display case having a base and a top comprising a metallic channel having shelf-supporting lugs punched at predetermined intervals from the edge portion of one extensions-to receive nuts which coact with said shoulders rigidly to secure the upright to the base and top.

11. A display case having a rectangular base and a rectangular top having respectively grooves to receive the lower and upper edges of said walls and a front wall, pairs of reversely positioned metallic channel-shaped uprights seated in said grooves adjacent the'corners of said base and top and having shoulders spaced from the ends of said uprights toengage respectively the upper face of said base and the under face of said top, each of said uprights having a plurality of correspondingly spaced shelf-supporting lugs punched inwardly from the inner flange thereof, side walls of glass seated in said grooves and in the channels of the respective pairs of uprights, a front wall seated in the groove in the front portion of said base and top and secured in place thereby, means for securing the ends of said uprights to said base and top to provide a rigid metallic frame construction and shelves detachably supported upon like shelf-supporting lugs of said uprights.

HENRY A. ALI-IEIT. 

